The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-08

This moments flower, too fair and brief
To be withered and stained by the dust of
the schools"

| tue sShooiS
Thus we thought when we attempt
Ell to describe the flow of fun and
mrth with the~cold lines of print,
and reduce to prose the apt poetical
quotations uttered at the alumni!
banquet on Friday evening last.
The occasion was the sixth annual
reunion of the members of the alumni
of the Owosso high school, together
with few invited friends, numbering
in all, perhaps, Ia5. Early in the
evening the people began to assem-
BILE and by 9 o'clock the Merell pre-
sented scene of unusual brilliancy,
and gay and festive gathering. Here
were met the old and the young;
some from the first class who gradual
ed and some from the class which
will shortly be enrolled as members
of the alumni; some who are still
enrolled in the cause of education as
teachers, some who come from distant
cities; some who come from the high
err schools of learning and others
whose names are today among the
business men of Owosso, cut all bent
on complete enjoyment of the
evening. The Merell had been neat
ly trimmed. brilliantly lighted and
every care was taken for the comfort
and convenience of its guests, and
the reunion was throughout marked
by an entire absence of that formality
which would so much have lessened
the pleasantness Of the evening.
Shortly after 9 o'clock the music
struck up the grand march, the doors
of the spacious dining room of the
Merell swung open, the parlors were
deserted and the banquet hall filled
to OVERLOOKING. every available seat
being taken. In the classic words OF
"fall to-" the president bid the alumni
and their guests partake of the sumpt-
uous feast which awaited them. We
need not dwell on the satisfaction
which this part of the entertainment
gave, as the reputation of the Merell
is sufficient guarantee of that. With
the poet we say: {.
"we may live without music, poetry or art,
We may live without conscience and live without
heart;
We may live without friends; we may live without
books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks.
He may live without books--what is knowledge
bnt grieving?
He may live without hope-what is hope but de
ceiving,
He may live without love-what is passion but
pining?
But where is the man that can live without dnng!"
The literary program, carefully ar
ranged in advance, was carried out
to perfection, except the omission OF
two toasts, necessary owing to nm
foreseen. causes. The president OF
the alumni, Stanley E. Parkill, acted
as toast-master, and filled the position
par excellence. Too much could not
be said in praise oil. the success OF his
happy introduction Of each toast.
The "Class of 49," was responded
to by Geo. M. Dewey Jr., in short
speech in which"its handsome women
and homely men" were duly praised.
The speaker said that "they expected
to be 6ona fde members ofthe alumni
association, unless they got their just
deserts at the time of the June exam
nations"
The POSTMASTER then proposed a
toast, entitled "1'he Ruler" with this
sentiment:
"Thy words have touched chord in memory's
Tyre,
And walked the key note of the saddest dirge
That fancy ever played to melancholy"
Mrs. Albert Todd was called upon
to respond, but insisted that her
knowledge of the ruler was very
limited, as she never had occasion to
feel its kindly touch, being always
known in school as "good Mary
Could" and accordingly her views
we're founded upon observation only.
"The Traveller" was discoursed
upon in a fifteen minutes speech by
Will Gould, whose glowing descrip.
ton of the easy life of the luxurious
drummer would make many Sena.
tor or College President envy his
good fortune. Only to think OF get.
ting chance to ride hundreds Of
miles in nicely furnished Pullman
Palace freight car, to get up and go
to bed at any hour of the night, to
have some kindly, sympathetic old
lady sit down beside you and tell all
her family history, etc, but our pen
fails us.
The toast master said he saw quite
number of rising young orators
whose burning eloquence had been
heard in many school districts and
whose well.rounded sentences, bril-
liant and striking metaphors and
fiery celebrations would materialize
on Monday in favor Of prohibition